I am sitting here trying to begin a new career in writing because my small business is crumbling. I don't know if this will work, but right now with no work to do at my real job, it seems like a viable Plan B. I own a small dog and cat grooming shop and I have one independent contractor who rents space from me. Neither of us are really working. We come to work to socialize and listen to the dead air of the phone not ringing. I'm really only working enough to pay the shop's bills. My regular net income is about one-third of what it used to be. And there's nothing I can do about it. I have tried advertising. People just won't spend money that they don't have. I tried cold calling. I have tried incentive programs. Minimal results. I even tried selling puppies. Now that one I regret. Too much work, and a lot of heartbreak when the puppies did get sold.

It is a hard concept that my client list is huge, and yet I can barely keep afloat with the meager amount of business coming in the door. Unfortunately, pet grooming is in the top ten ways to save money on a tight budget. Right up there with canceling movie channels, and eating meals at home. I really can't say that I blame people either. Heck, growing up I groomed our pet dog Muffin for years. My mother never used a real groomer until I moved out at eighteen. I look back at pictures of Muffin with his hair all choppy and think, "Oh, I hope these never get out!" It might damage my reputation.

In my business reputation is everything. Word of mouth referrals is the only real way to get new clients. Fabulous customer service is the only way to keep current clients. I am very good at my job and I am excellent at customer service. But these advantages and credentials mean nothing in an economy where extra money doesn't exist. Nowadays, extra money is being used to pay the mortgage for one more month, or buy the kids' school clothes. The family dog or cat is very low on the totem pole. In fact, my clientele as of recent days are the people whose only children are ones with fur. With no need for school clothes, they will still get Fifi her haircut and bath. Thank God for pet lovers.

Once a successful entrepreneur, and now a broke, self-employed welfare case. What do I have left? I have a card file full of clients who can't or won't come in for services. I have a shop with a lease that is a huge liability. I have business insurance, and advertising, and lots of equipment; but it all just sits there, useless. I have my I.C. paying a meager amount of rent. Not enough pets coming in to keep even one of us working full time. I rack my brain for ideas, but nothing comes out. Doing business in this economy is like squeezing blood from a turnip. Lots of effort. No payoff. So, I will do what the rest of America is doing and cut back. Bye bye movie channels. So long fast food dinners. Farewell life insurance plan. The squeeze gets passed on and on.

The only thing left for me to do is hold my breath and hope. Hope and pray for the end of the recession. Wait for the big wigs and big brother to bail us out, or stimulate our pocketbooks back into an economy of spenders. I call it consumerism. Apparently though consumerism leads to broke-ism, leads to socialism. That seems to be the chain of events as I see it. Lets hope I'm wrong, and we'll just magically jump back to yesteryear where "it was all good".

.